the goan I network
PANAJI
The Congress on Tuesday launched its outreach programme ‘Jana Gana Mana - Noman Tuka Goykara,’ programme commencing the programme at the Panaji KTC bus stand and moving from there to Mapusa and Aldona by public transport.
The programme, part of the ‘social phase’ announced by newly-appointed Congress President Girish Chodankar will see Congressmen including MLAs and party leaders travel the length and breadth of Goa to “listen to the voice of the people suffering from misgovernance.”
The first day of the programme was launched in the presence of Dr Chellakumar Secretary AICC, Chandrakant “Babu” Kavlekar MLA and Leader of Opposition, Girish Chodankar President GPCC and other office bearers.
“Over the past six years that the BJP is in power, the people of Goa are facing a lot of problems. Whatever assurances they (the government) give to the people they are unable to fulfil -- be it of employment or to the mining dependents, who today are on the street,” Chellakumar told reporters.
“Though they are in power at the Centre the government cannot deliver. They couldn’t convince their own government to restart the mining activity. So there is no solution to this. This is not to benefit one individual but to benefit lakhs of people,” he added.
Girish Chodankar and Babu Kavlekar too spoke of how the people have “no one to turn to” since there is “no government in the state.”
“The productive period of the year is over and now the rains will start. What is the government going to do now?” Chodankar asked.
“The aim is not to give speeches, but to listen to the people, the prayers and grievances of the people,” Chodankar had said when he announced the outreach programme.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Mahila Congress workers on Tuesday called on Governor Mridula Sinha and sought that she push forward the demand for implementation of 33% reservation for women in state assemblies and parliament.
“There has been a pending demand for 33% reservation for women in parliament and state assemblies. We have been following up this demand for the past seven months and the governor is aware of this. We want this implemented,” Pratima Coutinho the Goa Mahila Pradesh Congress president said.
